Parachute.



L. LHOME. PARAGHUTB.

- APPLICATIONIILED JULY 20, 1912.

Patented Feb. 1 1, 1913.

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Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

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l vwentoz 1 zu 'y witwassen LEO IRI-IGME, OF Pl-ERYVILLE, MISSOURI, ASVSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDWARD BOPP 0F PERRYVILLE, MISSOURI.

PARACHUTE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

To all whom t may concern:

Bc it known that I, LE'LHOME, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Perryville, in the county of Perry and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Parachutes, of which the fol lowing is a specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in parachutes and more particularly to a parachute which is especially designed foruse in connection with aeroplanes, balloons and all types of aerial vessels, the invention having for its .primary object to provide improved means for mounting the parachute body whereby t-he same will be released and will immediately unfold under the weight of the body of a passenger.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means to prevent the cords.

or cables attached to the edge of the parachute body from becoming tangled which would preclude the proper opening vof the parachute.

Another and more specific object of the invention is to provide a casing mounted u on the aeroplane or other vessel wherein t 4 e parachute is wholly contained, means connected to the flexible body of the parachute by the guy ropes or cables to nor- `mally retain the parachute in its folded condition within said casing, said latter means being released from connection with Ythe casing by the weight of a body connected thereto, and additional means centrally connected to the parachute body and positioned'between the folds thereof at their outer edges to permit the immediate access of air between said folds as the parachute moves out of its casing. l

A Still further object of the invention is toA provide a parachute for aerial vessels which is at all times in condition for emergency service, and is of such construction thatliability of the flexible body of the parachute failing to unfold is rendered ab-y solutely impossib1e,'the entire device occupying but a minimum ofv space and being strong vand durable in construction while of com arative'ly light weight.

ith the above and other objects in'view, the invention consists in the novel features of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter morefully described, pointed oiit in the claims and shown in the accompanying drawings in which, l

Flgure 1 1s a side elevation showing the casing wherein t-he body of the parachute is contained and the cap to close one end of the casing and the means for retaining the cap'th-ereon. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section taken onthe line 8-3 of' Fig. l and Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the parachute removed from its casing and unfolded.

Referring in detail tothe drawing, 5 designates the casing 'which is preferably of cylindrical form and is closed at one end. The closed end of this casing is provided with an eye indicated at 6 whereby the casingmay be attached to any convenient part of the structure of the aerial vessel, by means of a chain, cable or other connection. Adjacent to the open end of the casing 5, the same is provided with an exterior annular flange 7 the purpose of which will be madeiapparent in the following description.

The parachute proper includes a foldable flexible body 8'which may be made of canvas, oiled silk or any other desired material. To the edges of this flexible body, the usual ropes or cables 9 are connected at one of their ends. A substantially conical shaped cap 10 is provided in one end with a plurality of eyes 11 to which the other ends of the ropes or cables 9 are secured. This cap 10 is provided with an upstanding circum scribing flange `12 which 'projects above' the end face of the cap in which the eyes 11 are arranged. This flange is adapted to engage over the open end of the cylindrical container or casing 5 and abut against the under surface of the annular flange 7 upon the casing wall. The cap 10 is provided at diametrically opposite points and upon the flange 12 with the laterally extending spaced ears 13. Between cach of these pairs of ears a holding dog 14 is arranged having a shoulder 15 on one end to engage over the flange v'7 of the casing 5. Leaf springs 16 yieldingly retain said dogs in engagement with the flange 7, an'd hold the cap 10 upon the open end of the cylindrical casing. A curved bar 17 is fixed at its ends to the cap 10, the intermediate portion of said bar being spaced from the cap, and provided with an opening through which a rope or cable 18 is loosely disposed. The end of this rope or cable is ,of the person', making the descent and securely fastened together at its ends.

A skeletonr frame or cage 21 is centrally connected to the body 8 of the parachute by means of a rope or other flexible connection 22. This cage consists of spaced rings 23 connected by means of a `plurality of parallel bars 24.` When the parachute is fold-j ed and disposed within the casing 5, the cage I' 21 rests upon theflat end face of the cap 10 within the confines of the circular series of eyes 11. The. ropes or cables 9 of the parachute are disposed in the space between this cage and the 'wall of the casing and the edge of the folded parachute 'body lies against the bars 24 of thel cage.

In the -operation of the device, the parachute being contained within the casing and the cap applied to the end of the casing as shown in Fig. `1,.i'2vhen it is desired to leave the aeroplane or other vessel in theevent of accident thereto, the passenger buckles the belt 20 around his waist and jumps from the machine. The; weight of the descending` body will" pull upon the cables or wires 19,

thereby throwing the ends 15 of the dogs 14 .y outwardly olf ofthe flange 7 of the casing 5so that the cap 10 will be released from the end of the casing. The casing remains v attachedto the frame of the vessel while the body of the parachute moves out ofthe open `Aend thereof. The skeleton cage 21 insures access of air to and between the folds of the flexible body 8 of the parachute so that they will immediately unfold as soon as the'parachute is free from the casing 5 and assume the appearance shown in Fig. 4. Thus the descent of the parachute will be immediately checked and thc operator will safely descend to the ground without' injury.

From the foregoing vit is believed thatjthe construction and mannervof use of my improved parachute will be clearly understood by providing the skeleton cage 21 to hold the folds of the parachute open at their edges, said .parachute may be contained within a cylinder or casing of relatively small dimensionsso that the entire device will occupy but little space upon the aeroplane or other vessel` to which it is applied. It will also be seen that by means of my iinproved construction of the cap 10, that said cap will be removed as soon as the holding dogs 14 are released by the weight of the body attached to the rope 18, irrespective of the position of the cylinder 5.- The device will thus be very reliable and eflicient in actual use and provides an emergency parachute for vessels used in aerial navigation vand of other form and proportions than those illustrated in the drawings.

The invention is also susceptible of a great many other minor modifications without departing from the essential features or t sacricing any of the advantages thereof.

What I claim is l. In a. parachute, a foldable flexible body, a skeleton cage attached to said body and disposed between the folds. thereof at their edges, when said body is folded 'to facilitate the entrance of air into and between the folds.

2'. AIn a parachute, a foldable flexible body, a skeleton cage, a flexible element secured cent-rally to the bodyat one of its ends and having its other end attached to the cage, said cage being disposed within the folds of the body at their edges: when said body is folded to facilitatoithe entrance of air intov and betweensaid folds.

3. In a parachute, a foldable flexible body, a cage consisting of spaced annular mombers and a plurality of spaced bars connecting said members, a flexible element attached at one of its ends centrally to the body and at its other end to one of the annular members of the cage, said cage being disposedl between the folds of the body at their edges when the body is folded to facilitate the entrance of air into and betweensaid folds.

4. In a parachute attachment for aerial vessels, a casing ogen at one end, a flexible parachute body a apted to be folded ,and arranged within said casing, a cap to close the open end of the casing, flexible connections between tlie edge of the parachute body and said cap, a skeleton cage connected to the 4parachute body and disposed between the folds of the body at their edges, spring pressed holding dogs mountedupon the cap, an annular flange formed uponthe casing to be engaged by said dogs, and a flexible element connected to said dogs whereby the saine are actuated bythe weight o-f a body suspended from said element to release the cap from the end of the casing.

5'. In a parachute attachment for aerial vessels, a cylindrical casing open at one end, a parachute comprising a foldable flexible body adapted to be contained within said casing, said body' having an annular exterior flange adjacent its open end, a cap to be engaged upon the open end of the casing to close the same, retaining means mounted upon the cap to engage said flange and hold the cap upon the casing', cables connecting the-parachute body at its edge to said cap,4

means centrally connected to the parachute vbody and. resting upon the cap, when the parachute is disposed within the casing to prevent entanglement of the cables, a flexible f member connected tothe cap, end connections Abetween said member and the cap retaining means whereby said retaining means is actuated by the weight of the body suspended from said fiexible 'membe` to release the czp from the end of the casing.

6.` n a parac hute attachment vfor aerial1 vessels,` a .casing open at one tendra-,parachute to -be containedwithin said casing', a closure upon the open endof the 'casing to which said arachute is connected, retainingl means to ho d the closure upon the open end of the casing, a flexible element connected to the closure for attachment to the body, and connectionsbetween said' element and the rei-a'ining means whereby the closure is released from the open end of the casing under the weight of the body.

7. In a parachute attachment for aerial vessels, a casing open at one end, a lparachute tol be contained within said casing, a closure for the open end of the casing, said parachute being connected to the closure, retaining means carried by the closure to hold the same upon the open end of the casing,

.andmeans connected tosad retaining meansv and adapted for attachment to thebody,

whereby the closure is released from the end gf the casing under the weight of the said ody.

8. In a parachute attachmentfor `aerial vessels, a casing open at one of its ends, a

parachute to be contained `Within said casmg, said casing being provided vwith an ex-f I terior annulargange adjacent its open end, ka closure for the'open end of the casing, retaining elements mounted upon the closure and engaging over said flange to vhold the lclosure on the end of the caslng, said parachute being connected to the closure, and means connected to said retainmg elements and adapted for attachment to the body Copies ouf'this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

i Washington, D. C. 

